The moment Aoki confirmed the title of the song they'd be performing, even without explaining what kind of song it was, the girls were already stunned.
No exaggeration—if Kessoku Band really did collaborate on a film produced by Yuusuke Niijima, and everything went smoothly with no issues in quality or execution, then once the movie premiered, one thing was certain:
Kessoku Band's name would blow up.
But that was exactly where the pressure came in.
While no one doubted the quality of the song—after all, even Yuusuke Niijima himself approved it, the real question was whether Kessoku Band could deliver.
Could they pull it off without mistakes and give their best performance?
If they had enough time, Nijika was confident they could practice "Fireworks" until they mastered it—even beyond professional level.
The problem was... what if they didn't?
Kessoku Band wasn't like most other bands.
While other groups could usually get familiar with a new song within a week or ten days, Kessoku Band was different.
They hadn't been together that long.
Their overall skill was decent, but when it came to tight coordination, they still needed a lot of practice time to really lock in.
Of course, if Nijika had already thought this through, then Aoki definitely had too.
In fact, he had already asked Niijima about the deadline and the final version of the track wasn't due until mid-September.
So, for Kessoku Band, that meant: plenty of time.
After his bold declaration of "We'll be playing 'Fireworks'," Aoki noticed the uncertainty in their expressions.
He didn't hesitate to clarify:
"Since summer break starts in a few days, we'll have more time to train together. And with the deadline being mid-September, that gives us plenty of practice time."
Then, with a small grin:
"Besides—come on, have a little confidence. It's just a movie soundtrack. We've got this."
A whole month.
During summer break, no less.
He was right.
The time was more than enough.
The girls glanced at each other, then back at Aoki.
Sitting directly across from him, Nijika nodded firmly.
"Okay! Got it, Aoki-senpai!"
Aoki smiled and continued:
"Great. I've already made digital versions of the sheet music—several arrangements, actually."
He wasn't in a rush, but since they were all together and had a bit of downtime, now seemed like a good moment to share it.
"I'll send everything to the group chat. Just check it out when you have time."
He pulled out his phone, opened LINE, scrolled through his files, and sent a few documents into the Kessoku Band group chat.
Even though he'd said "later," the girls were clearly curious.
The moment the files hit the group, they all instinctively opened them.
Almost immediately, Bocchi-chan's expression shifted.
She stared down at her screen, then glanced up at Aoki.
Her lips parted as if unsure whether to speak.
After a moment of hesitation, she finally managed to say:
"U-Um… Aoki-senpai, I was looking at the last file… and… um, isn't this piano sheet music...? I-I mean, the whole song seems built around a piano melody… but… but our band doesn't have a keyboard player..."
The others took a second or two longer, but then the same realization hit them too.
They looked over at Aoki, eyebrows raised.
Before that moment yesterday, when he— Wait. No. Not the thing with Ryo's leg—don't think about that.
Shaking off the awkward memory, Aoki refocused.
Yes, up until that moment yesterday, Kessoku Band didn't have a keyboardist.
But after completing that mysterious task and receiving a reward…
Aoki's keyboard skills had now reached master level.
So after a deep breath, he calmly explained:
"Using the piano as the lead melody makes the tone clearer and the rhythm brighter. It just fits the summer vibe better."
Then, with another pause:
"As for not having a keyboardist… I can play. So for this piece, I'll take care of the piano part."
Bocchi blinked, looking a little dazed.
But it was Kita Ikuyo who reacted first:
"Wait, what?! Aoki-senpai, you can play piano too?! H-How good are you? I heard that to get really good, you usually have to start super young…"
Aoki just shrugged modestly.
"I'd say… my piano skill is about on par with my guitar playing."
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Both skills were at master level now.
He had spent more time with the guitar, so it was probably a bit stronger, but the difference was small.
And upon hearing that—
Nijika's jaw nearly dropped.
She remembered her older sister telling her how Aoki-senpai's guitar skills were better than most professionals.
And she had experienced it firsthand too—the way he played, the way he listened, the way he guided them.
Now he was saying…
His piano skills were on the same level as his guitar?!
Same age. Same school year.
And yet already at a level most musicians couldn't even dream of.
If that wasn't just talent… then what kind of effort had he put in behind the scenes?